This is what I can't stand about Mike besides his being an athiest. He thinks he's always right! I feel he pushes Archie and provokes until Archie is nearly crazy! I was getting irritated when watching that episode where the Lorenzo's, Lionel and the Bunker's(except Archie) was playing that board game and everyone was being honest with Mike about his attitude. Lionel made a good point about how Mike is always talking statistics about the black race or something to that affect and then Gloria told him how he does argue too much with Archie and thinks he's always right. That suprised me because usually that dumb broad agrees with Mike on everything. What do you all think? Am I just too hard on the meathead? My husband thought they were sort of picking on him and I told him that I felt he was mad because it was all true and deep down he knew it.

No I agree! Meathead was a little know-it-all! There was another episode where Gloria is mad at him for making her feel dumb (after a scrabble game) and then he goes to the Bunkers and corrects all their grammar, and Archie calls him on it! :lol:

I think that's one of the reasons why Archie and Mike made an interesting pair - they both were more alike than they cared to admit. They both thought they were right about everything.

I think that's one of the reasons why Archie and Mike made an interesting pair - they both were more alike than they cared to admit. They both thought they were right about everything.

Maybe so, but Archie wasn't so damn annoying about it. JMO. But, then again, just looking at Mike can annoy me. LOL!

Yes Mike did have this "I'm smarter than you" attitude. And maybe in book learning but not in terms of common sense.

What I really disliked about Mike was that he talked the talk but didn't walk the walk. Despite all his huffing and puffing about equality, when someone proposes he see a female doctor he immediatley balks. Another example, is when he thinks only the husband should initiate relations. These 2 are just for starters.

As much as I don't care for 99.999% of Archie's views I like Archie a little more because at least Archie's real.

These opinions about Mike are right, and the episode "The Game" really brings it out. He wants to play this new board game, where everyone gets their chance to "open up" and be honest, then he can't stand it when everybody gives some honest evaluations of himself that are less than flattering. From the start he set himself up as the de facto quizmaster, telling everyone how to play and what a great chance to really learn about oneself, et al. But when he claims he is "mature" because he is "tolerant of the other person's opinion," he is laughed at by Gloria, told by Edith he is "stuck up" in his disagreements with Archie, and is rousted by Lionel that he has some hypocrisy about him in that he talks to Lionel as if he were a "representative of the entire black race." Mike defends all his actions, and finally goes ape, throws the board and cards, and runs upstairs. He can't stand it that his friends and family do not see him exactly as he sees himself, and the irony is too much to bear that all those qualities he thinks he shows-- maturity, tolerance, equality-- are disproven in a few minutes of a game of honest criticism he strongly promoted, when anyone dares to be critical of mature, tolerant him.

i'm a Republican and can't stand mike, but i'm actually glad he's on the show. altho, he got on my nerves, i felt he was on the show to bring out the side of archie we all know and love. it's weird because i like Gloria but can't stand Mike.
i like shows that have episodes where they have a family game night because comedy always ensues but that episode of AITF was just annoying because of his whining! :crybaby:

I think that's one of the reasons why Archie and Mike made an interesting pair - they both were more alike than they cared to admit. They both thought they were right about everything.
:yeahthat Well said.

These opinions about Mike are right, and the episode "The Game" really brings it out. He wants to play this new board game, where everyone gets their chance to "open up" and be honest, then he can't stand it when everybody gives some honest evaluations of himself that are less than flattering. From the start he set himself up as the de facto quizmaster, telling everyone how to play and what a great chance to really learn about oneself, et al. But when he claims he is "mature" because he is "tolerant of the other person's opinion," he is laughed at by Gloria, told by Edith he is "stuck up" in his disagreements with Archie, and is rousted by Lionel that he has some hypocrisy about him in that he talks to Lionel as if he were a "representative of the entire black race." Mike defends all his actions, and finally goes ape, throws the board and cards, and runs upstairs. He can't stand it that his friends and family do not see him exactly as he sees himself, and the irony is too much to bear that all those qualities he thinks he shows-- maturity, tolerance, equality-- are disproven in a few minutes of a game of honest criticism he strongly promoted, when anyone dares to be critical of mature, tolerant him.

Yes, exactly. As I said on another AITF thread Mike can dish it out but he can't take it.

Yes, exactly. As I said on another AITF thread Mike can dish it out but he can't take it.
That's a great way to put it. You guys are right on the money.

These opinions about Mike are right, and the episode "The Game" really brings it out. He wants to play this new board game, where everyone gets their chance to "open up" and be honest, then he can't stand it when everybody gives some honest evaluations of himself that are less than flattering. From the start he set himself up as the de facto quizmaster, telling everyone how to play and what a great chance to really learn about oneself, et al. But when he claims he is "mature" because he is "tolerant of the other person's opinion," he is laughed at by Gloria, told by Edith he is "stuck up" in his disagreements with Archie, and is rousted by Lionel that he has some hypocrisy about him in that he talks to Lionel as if he were a "representative of the entire black race." Mike defends all his actions, and finally goes ape, throws the board and cards, and runs upstairs. He can't stand it that his friends and family do not see him exactly as he sees himself, and the irony is too much to bear that all those qualities he thinks he shows-- maturity, tolerance, equality-- are disproven in a few minutes of a game of honest criticism he strongly promoted, when anyone dares to be critical of mature, tolerant him.

I always thought Mike was an immature jerk. Not only that episode he showed his immaturity but the episode with Mike's college friend came by. The guy just wanted to hang out and have fun but Mike needed to show how superior he is. He treated Gloria like she was stupid. Gloria was not stupid she was smart. She was the breadwinner for the first several years of their marriage. HELLO!!! I loved the episode Battle of the Month when she smacked the snot out of Mike. Classic.

Yes Mike did have this "I'm smarter than you" attitude. And maybe in book learning but not in terms of common sense.

What I really disliked about Mike was that he talked the talk but didn't walk the walk. Despite all his huffing and puffing about equality, when someone proposes he see a female doctor he immediatley balks. Another example, is when he thinks only the husband should initiate relations. These 2 are just for starters.

As much as I don't care for 99.999% of Archie's views I like Archie a little more because at least Archie's real.
Well put Rich. I totally agree. I remember an episode where Gloria talked abt a scenario where she said a surgeon gets a patient in the emergency room but the surgeon states "I cannot operate on this patient. This patient is my son. Who is the surgeon?" words to that effect. Know one guessed the doctor was the mother of the boy. It was assumed (by Mike and Archie) that doctor had to be the boy's father. Archie making that assumption was excuseable, but Mike, who is always making remarks abt women and equality and fairness for everyone, couldn't get it out of his head the stereotype that only men are doctors.

Well put Rich. I totally agree. I remember an episode where Gloria talked abt a scenario where she said a surgeon gets a patient in the emergency room but the surgeon states "I cannot operate on this patient. This patient is my son. Who is the surgeon?" words to that effect. Know one guessed the doctor was the mother of the boy. It was assumed (by Mike and Archie) that doctor had to be the boy's father. Archie making that assumption was excuseable, but Mike, who is always making remarks abt women and equality and fairness for everyone, couldn't get it out of his head the stereotype that only men are doctors.


He didn't get the nickname Meathead for nuthin, LOL!

He didn't get the nickname Meathead for nuthin, LOL!
:rofl:

i'm a Republican and can't stand mike, but i'm actually glad he's on the show. altho, he got on my nerves, i felt he was on the show to bring out the side of archie we all know and love. it's weird because i like Gloria but can't stand Mike.
i like shows that have episodes where they have a family game night because comedy always ensues but that episode of AITF was just annoying because of his whining! :crybaby:

I never thought of Mike as whining so much...it was more like his smug sense of intellectual and moral superiority (ha ha - we sure saw A LOT of that on game night). Interesting to see that when push comes to shove, he is nowheres near as bright and mature as he likes to think.

Actually, on most moral/political issues (war in vietnam, polution, multination corporate greed ) Mike was right; you all harp on how Mike was a whining know it all....well, i don't hear any of you chiding Archie for trying to force HIS views on Mike! (It works both ways, you know!)

Btw, so what if Mike was an atheist? Religious tolerance includes the right NOT to practice religion, also!

I'm coming to the conclusion that the most well-balanced, stable and wise individual in that family was Edith, her naivete and lack of advanced formal education notwithstanding.

Directly regarding the thread question, however, I think that the show required, as most sitcoms do, extreme examples of contrast, which serve to highlight other characters. Mike and Archie played off each other like that--and brought out the other's character even more, including their frailties. Mike Stivic clearly had a streak of personal immaturity and arrogance, in spite of his good ideals.

There were no reality shows in the 70's, but sitcoms were becoming more realistic in pointing out the foibles of human nature, I feel.

Good post Yooch :thumbsup:

Good post Yooch :thumbsup:

Thanks. Generally speaking, I think the seventies took a leap forward in sitcoms, and that is not to denigrate the 50s or 60s shows (which I still enjoy). It was a different time. The 70s started giving us sitcoms with imperfect people and the writers weren't afraid to take on controversial issues. The shows were still very funny, but could deal with very serious, thought-provoking topics. AITF is, and has remained one of my favorite sitcoms of all time. It's an American institution. What would we do without Meathead, Arch, Edith and Gloria? Archie's easy chair (if not already) should be in the Smithsonian.

^ The chair is indeed in the Smithsonian, along with Charlie McCarthy and Fonzie's jacket. :cool: :D